Hey, everyone!

'Running' was going to be a single chapter (and the last one), but my overzealous muse got hold of my fingers and turned out to be really long, so I felt splitting it up was a good idea. Part 2 is already written, but it still needs work. I'll try to have it ready as soon as possible.

As always, thank you all so much for the comments! You guys've been awesome and I'm super grateful for your support. And I apologize in advance if there are any typos lying around.

Hope y'all enjoy it!


Running – Part 1


And I'm so sorry that I've fallen
Help me up, lets keep on running
Don't let me fall out of love

Running – No Doubt


Alec had an amazing imagination; his mind was totally capable of coming up with the most weird, wild or twisted situations. But sometimes, the reality overcame fiction by handing to you that particular set of cards you thought you'd never get. For better or for worse, life was unpredictable, so he guessed he ought to stop imagining. For example, he'd expected hostile attitudes when he first came to Yuma but that hadn't been the case. He'd been assigned to a prearranged unit, with people who'd spent years together and to his surprise, none of the guys were against him for being a transgenic. Quite the contrary, they were mostly curious about the subject and after the ice broke between them, all they did was ask: how many missions did you completed? Were they solo missions? How many countries have you been at?

And if there was something about Alec which overpowered his imagination it certainly were his abilities to tell a good story. So he spoke and they listened. Sometimes, they shared stories with him. The deal suited him just fine, it kept his head well occupied and along with the physical exercise they were bound to do, helped him to rebuild his shield. The shield she'd shattered.

His unconscious mind however didn't seem to be as malleable. Like the perfect expression of his very own nature, it was untamed and it surged forward when the sun went down. He'd heard once someone say dreams were the manifestation of oneself most primal urges. If that was true, then he was royally fucked, for Alec's days were his, but his nights were hers.

How do you fight a memory? How do you change your dreams? How do you get rid of that want?

Well, Psy-Ops was out of the table at that moment and Alec had his doubts it would even work. She was so ingrained in his mind...

He slept because he had to, but there wasn't a single night he didn't dream about her. Her eyes, her lips. The soft touch of her skin against his. His name escaping her mouth in throaty breaths. Her smile...

He missed her so much, yet he hated her. He hated her for naming him, for giving him hope, for making him believe he could be so much more. He hated every damn thing he loved about her. Or maybe, he just hated himself for not being able to let go.

Alec held to his routine, trusting in the monotony of morning drills to make his vivid dreams go away. He did what Manticore had taught him: he pretended. He joked with his unit mates, which helped build the camaraderie. He excelled in every excercise, inspiring awe in superiors and fellow soldiers. He was never disrespectful. He finally was just the true blue he'd been brought up to be.

He hadn't felt so empty in his entire life.

Still, he didn't try to make any ammends. There was nothing else for him but this, the one thing he was good at.

That morning started as it supposed to be. Breakfast, the fifteen miles run, push ups and the practise at the fire range. A five minute shower and then, lunch. Since it was Saturday, though, they had the afternoon and night off. A small pause before the storm. Their Sergeant had informed them they were being deployed to the East Coast in two weeks, which was a pretty way to say the days ahead were going to be harsh and long when it came to training. Alec was just glad he could put more space between him and Seattle.

He sat on his cot, setting the items for cleaning his gun in front of him. In a couple of swift moves, the nine millimeter was disengaged and he began the boring task. It was better than do nothing.

John was a particularly over-excited twenty two year old from Alabama and the prospect of having some time off was keeping him comfortably floating in cloud nine. As a kid preparing for Christmas, he was getting his civilian clothes in order while almost harrasing Alec to join them to their trip to a bar.

"Johnny, leave the guy alone," Tom chided, his eyes never leaving his copy of The Art of War, but he was obviously paying attention to his surroundings.

Thomas could easily pass as a transgenic, Alec thought. The man was the most serious of the lot. Intelligent and not so bad looking, he came from a wealthy family from Boston. In Alec's mind, Thomas had certain resemblance to Logan, even though he wasn't such a pretentious pain in the ass, according to his scale.

John, on the other side, was the youngest and self appointed pet of the team. There was no such thing as a serious matter to Johnny and anything could be the start for a joke.

At the end of the room, Doug chuckled because of John's attitude. He was the oldest in the unit, reaching his thirties the next month. He also was the most experienced of them —except for Alec—, perhaps that's why he didn't say much, but every time he spoke there was a hint of wisdom to his words.

Liam was the field med and seemed completely oblivious to Johnny's antics, for his nose was buried deep in a book, as always. He would go to the bar nontheless, because he felt his unit was his family. Liam's parents had died long ago and he'd joined the Marines as a means to an end: he'd always wanted to be a doctor but had no money to pay for such career. Now, after getting his degree, he was paying the Government back with years of service.

Tucker was the only one who had a relative in the city near the base. He and his younger sister had escaped their abusive stepfather when they were very young and had lived in the streets for years. Like Liam, he'd enlisted seeking an objective: to provide for Sarah, his sister. They'd saved money and about a year ago, Sarah'd been able to open a bar and the bussiness was thriving.

They were all very different in many ways but being the smallest unit in the base had strenghted the bonds they had with each other.

"C'mon, dude... Don't leave us hangin'. Come have a drink with us," Johnny pressed, as if he couldn't let the subject go.

"If I say yes, will you shut it?" Alec asked, a half grin on is face. John nodded quickly.

"He's lying, he never shuts up," Tuck added, while he tried to make his boots as shiny as possible.

"That's so not true. I cherish the silence." Johnny's face was stoic, but Doug's laughter indicated he knew the kid was full of BS.

The sudden noise of the book closing startled a few of them.

"I forgot to tell you," Liam started, without a single clue of what were they talking or if he was interrupting a conversation. "I treated a broken nose this morning."

"Fascinating," Tom commented. "Bet you'd never seen one of those before."

"Please, Thomas. I graduated years ago. Of course I've seen broken noses." The sarcasm was lost in Liam and Tom rolled his eyes. "That's not the point I was trying to make. The private I treated reached the Med Bay unconcious. When he came to, he told the Major that a female had attempted to breach the perimeter and when he shouted for her to halt, she knocked him out. There's no footage of the woman though, which I consider very strange."

Nobody seemed bothered with Liam's impression of a walking thesaurus so Alec guessed they were used to it. Instead, they were milling over the information the man had just provided. He didn't spare much more than a thought on it. Alec simply wasn't interested in the incompetence of the perimeter guards and concentrated on reassembling his gun.

When the dusk extended widely over the horizon, the six men were stepping out the north entrance of the base, heading to Yuma. It was a walk of a couple of miles, but some Jeeps were available for the soldiers to use in these ocassions.

"Go ahead, guys. I'll walk," Alec said, his hands in his jean's pockets. Johnny seemed ready to retort, but Doug talked first.

"No problem. We'll be at the 24th St., almost getting to Pacific Ave. Got it?"

Alec nodded and Tuck revved the Jeep's engine. John waved him with a hint of dissapointment before they dissapeared in the night.

He actually needed the time alone. Being in a base with a tight schedule prevented him from that, and if he had to be completely honest, he wasn't so sure this decision had been the best one. Of course, staying in TC was out of the question. He'd even craved for leaving Seattle, for getting as far away as he could. He was practically two steps away from Mexico, but with his citizenship in progress he wasn't sure if he could cross the border in legal terms and he wasn't in the mood for illegalities. He'd had enough of hunting and hiding for a lifetime. Maybe this mission in the East Coast was his break. He could ask to stay in DC, which if granted, would put the entire continent between him and her. Though Alec seriously doubted the distance could make any difference, he had to try. He saw no other way out of this. A bitter laugh escaped him. This is what Max'd reduced him to, he was fleeing like a scared dog from a punishing master.

Max.

Damn her.

He could still see the shock on her face when he confessed his feelings. He'd expected... Well, he didn't really know what he'd expected, but that moment, when she choked on her own words splintered his heart in thousands of pieces. He'd interrupted her because if he heard her say 'I'm sorry' the damage would've been too great.

He knew right then there was nothing for him in Seattle. The pain was too raw, the wound widely open. Seeing her every day, living her life, maybe even with someone else... Sufice to say he wasn't a masochist. Therefore, he packed a duffel with his meager belongings and talked to Mole in private. The transhuman made the arrangements, not daring to ask about the reasons of his sudden departure. After saying goodbye to Joshua and the scaly man, he climbed on his Bandit and didn't look back.

At the half-way of his trip, he found himself boiling in doubts. He detoured a few miles to visit San Francisco, lingering there for a couple of days, perhaps hoping to find something that guideded him into the right track. It was absurd because they'd never been together there, but all he could think about was Max and how much she would've love to see the city. Countless times during his voyage he'd picked up his phone and dialed her number to only put it back in his pocket, until he fed up and threw the damn thing into the Pacific Ocean.

Eventually he reached Yuma, where the personnel was already waiting for him. The rest was pretty much a blur to him.

Now, he was willing to go wherever the inertia carried him.

Alec got to the city limits, entering the small town walking without hurry nor purpose. He found the bar in no time, the perks of having a brain wired with GPS functions. Johnny and Doug were having a smoke outside and greeted him. Alec asked if it was too crowded inside. Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem, but he wasn't feeling up for being surrounded by a ton of people.

"Nah, it's a normal night. Although there's a hell of good looking chick I've never seen before and I'm feelin' lucky tonight," Johnny said, grinning wolfishly to the perspective of a conquest.

"C'mon, let's see this fool crash and burn, shall we?" Doug teased, smiling.

Alec nodded as John muttered a 'will not'.

The young man entered first, full of confidence, striding straight to the brunette sitting on a stool. As Alec and Doug crossed the doorstep, Johnny was already talking to her, but the girl wasn't interested. She said something to him and stood up, apparently ready to leave.

Alec's breath got caught in his lungs and his hazel eyes opened to comic proportions because right there, in her favourite jeans and leather jacket was Max, as beautiful and unreachable as always.


Max debated with herself if she should call Alec before showing up. Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford, Redding; all those cities and countless other smaller towns came and left and she still couldn't make up her mind. She didn't stop very often except for gas, food and water. She tried to avoid check points and civilization as much as she could because the transgenics and their newly adquired citizenship were a hot topic at the moment and she didn't want any trouble. When she reached Sacramento though, it became obvious she was in desperate need for a shower. Thinking it was better and easier to pass undetected in a big city than in a small town where everybody knew each other, she rented a dingy motel room in the outskirts. The water was cold, but the towels were clean, which was good enough for her. Sleeping in a matress renewed her strenght or at least, she thought so and staring at the rising sun she found the courage to make the call. Her expectations were short-lived though because an automatic voice informed her the number had been disconnected. Maybe it was better that way, perhaps if she warned him she'd only make it worse, but she couldn't help feeling a tinge of dissapointment. Max longed for hearing his voice again.

Los Angeles was a similar experience. She remained in the suburbs, avoiding people stares. Scape and evade was something she stood up in, something she was used to do; an ability she'd even tested against Alec. Because she'd scaped him, cowardly. Sometimes, her own stupidity amazed her. How pushing Alec away could possibly solve anything? What was she thinking? Had she been thinking at all?

Inconspicuously, she slid between the city and the Coast line, riding that last stretch to San Diego by the sea.

Max reached Interstate 8 gladly, picking up speed, finally knowing only a few hours of road were ahead. Her heart rate also accelerated, almost responding to the revving of the engine and the freedom of the desert. She thought of Alec for the millionth time and how much she wished he'd shared a trip like this with her. She missed him so much...

The brunette arrived Yuma in early hours of the morning and headed straight to the base after consulting her map. The place was fenced, of course, and grim memories of Manticore reached her consciousness. She didn't allow herself to dwell in the reminiscence, because now that she was there, she came to realise she didn't have a plan. What was she supposed to do? Hiding in some bushes, she zoomed her sight into the security post, about a mile East. She supposed that if she walked over there, they wouldn't let her pass, not without a permit. She sighed. She'd been travelling for thousands of miles and not once she'd stopped to think what would she do when she was finally there. Typical mistake for her. She looked at the six feet of chain-link fence, plus the barbed wire on the top, the 'No Tresspassing' sign almost mocking her. Only one thing was clear: she had to see him.

Here goes nothin'. Max did the math in her head quickly and staying low, she drew back a few steps. She studied both of her flanks and seeing no one, she made the run and jumped.

Max landed on the other side, instantly searching for someone who might've heard her. No person was nearby, no cameras either but she did see some crates not so far. While hurrying herself for cover, she heard gunshots coming from the South which distracted her for a moment. Although it was just a second, it cost her dearly, because she failed to see the private coming out from behind the crates. The kid couldn't be older than eighteen or nineteen, but he was a soldier and he was already pointing a gun to her. Max blurred and punched him as hard as she could in the face before he got the chance to react. The soldier fell on his back unconscious, blood gushing out of his nose. Max approached him, feeling a bit bad for the teenager and turned him on his side. Last thing she wanted was the kid dead, drowned in his own blood. That's when she heard voices, most likely more soldiers on patrol duty and she sighed deeply.

Entering the base illegally and in broad daylight wasn't among the brightest of her ideas, so she retreated before more people showed up and she got to spend the rest of her life locked up in a military prison for tresspassing. Back to the drawing board it was if she wanted to see Alec any time soon. She remained hidden in the bushes until some soldiers carried the kid inside.

After that wonderful idea, Max headed to town and rented a room. She took a long shower while debated herself about her options. She could try breaking in again, but she would need at least a layout of the base, not to mention the necessary recon she'd less than intelligently obviated that morning; and it'd have to be during the night. She knew it was possible but it would take her days of planning and she wasn't sure she had that kind of time. What if Alec was ready to be mobilised that very moment? Max reckoned he didn't need any of the training the base could provide. He already was an experienced soldier.

There also existed the possiblity of asking for a visitor permit, but Max doubted she'd be granted one or if Alec would agree to see her. In any case, they'd be under vigilance the whole time and Max as sure as hell didn't want an audience when she got the chance to speak with him.

Max called home, checking in with Syl who informed her things were running just fine in TC. A couple of new babies to report, the summer was still being unusually hot in Seattle but no more news from there. However, Syl did take her time to thoroughly interrogate her sister and when Max told her about that morning's big fiasco, Syl couldn't help to laugh.

"You need to keep your head in the game, Max. You just can't barge in, you know better," Syl said after the mirth was gone. She knew Max was almost desperate to see Alec again, but being reckless wasn't going to help her achieve her objective.

Max sighed, she hated waiting. "Yeah, I know. That's why I need you to ask Dix or Luke for the blueprints of the base and anything else they can find on it. I don't think the military keeps anything like that here in town. Meanwhile, I'll start with the recon and-"

"Whoa, hold it," Syl interrupted. "You've been on the road for days, sleepin' almost nothin' and eatin' shitty food. Do yourself a favour and get a decent meal, a drink to loosen up a bit and then think about the recon. I'll pass the word to the guys. We'll figure it out, Max; we always do. Just take it easy, okay?"

Max could hear the concern in her sister's voice on the other side of the line, and she had to admit her sister was probably right. "Will do. Thanks, Syl... Talk soon."

After Syl's promise of calling if they came across with any kind of intel, Max ended the call. Dinner didn't feel so alluring. Her stomach had been closed for weeks, that's why she merely nibbled a sandwich and she was good to go. That drink though sounded perfect. Max was aware alcohol wouldn't numb her mind in the way she sometimes longed to, still she could use a beer. Plus, it'd give her the opportunity to snoop around town.

Max grabbed her jacket and chose to walk, leaving her Ninja safely hidden in an alley. She located a not so shady bar not far from her motel. The place seemed fairly decent, not so many drunks lying around but what caught her attention were the men she recognized as soldiers. Sure, they were all in civilian clothes, but it was still evident for her to notice. The way they carried themselves, how they appeared aware of their surroundings despite they were relaxed. It takes one to know one, she supposed. Having found a place where soldiers hang out was progress, she thought. Maybe, she'd be lucky enough to catch some interesting conversations about the base, like schedules or security details; or perhaps he would show up... She sighed to her wishful thinking.

Max crossed the distance to the counter, gaining more than a few interested looks, but she tried to remain calm as she sat on a stool and took her jacket off. A young girl approached to her, ready to take her order. The girl was a petite woman in her twenties, Max guessed; she kept light brown hair cut into a bob and her eyes reminded Max to Jondy. There was kindness in those eyes and she carried that girl-next-door kind of beauty. The tag attached to her shirt read 'Sarah'.

Sarah eyed Max for a moment, probably recognizing she wasn't from around. "Hey, what can I get you?"

"A beer," Max answered, accepting the scrutiny.

Sarah poured the amber liquid in a large mug while Max's gaze searched the place. "Seems you're lookin' for someone," the girl asserted, a half smile on her face.

Max hesitated for a moment. "I am," and when she saw Sarah's stare still intent on her, she added, "a friend." She sipped her beer and it wasn't that bad, she realised. She also realised Sarah was curiously glancing her way from time to time; but she didn't care, because she was there nursing her beer, waiting and hoping that for once, fate would be kind enough to make him show up.

Sarah, on her part, didn't consider herself unique or special, but she did have a good sense for reading people. Maybe because her years in the streets, maybe it was due to her current job, but she could tell which kind of burden every person carried and this brunette at the end of the counter was heartbroken. She couldn't really explain how she knew, but all the hints were there. Each time the door opened and a male laughter resonated in the air, the brunette would turn around and search, and every single time she returned to her beer dissapointed, her features more and more hopeless.

Sarah saw her brother coming in with his unit mates except for the new guy, and Johnny, as usual started to throw anything but discrete glances to the brunette, who seemed oblivious. Sarah told him not to bother with that girl, but the kid didn't listen, so she just shrugged because he never did. Something told her the brunette was able to take care of herself anyway.

Around an hour later, Sarah finally saw Johnny making his move, but just as she expected, the brunette wasn't interested. Heartbroken, she confirmed to herself while going to the back for a couple of bottles of scotch.

Max couldn't really tell how long she'd been there, but her beer was warm by now and she'd lost her appetite for alcohol. She'd already had her jacket on and was putting a couple of dollars over the counter when a guy smiling widely leaned over it, next to her. She eyed the man, noticing he wasn't much older than the young soldier who's nose she'd broken that very morning. Great, just what she needed, lame pick-up lines. She really wasn't in the mood for any of that so she turned down the guy as kindly as she could manage and she was grateful when he didn't insist.

She stood up and turned around, ready to leave.

Despite all the miles Max'd travelled and the enormous amount of thought she'd put to the situation, the sight of his hazel eyes caught her completely off guard. A myriad of feelings assaulted her without previous notice. Suddenly, she wanted to laugh, cry, to tell him she was sorry, to ask him to come back home. Instead, all she did was stare at him and smiled, really smiled for the first time in weeks. Alec appeared to be as shocked as she was, for he remained anchored to his spot, his bright green eyes never leaving hers.

Her foggy mind absently realised several men were staring at them, including the guy who'd tried to buy her a drink. One of them asked something and Alec nodded, but she didn't pay much attention to the people around them. She was way too occupied noticing his uneven breathing, his high heart rate. Max's focus on Alec was so deep she didn't even manage to protest when he grabbed her wrist and less than gently, pulled her out of the bar.

Alec'd never believed he'd see her again, but here she was, right in front of him smiling just like the Max in his dreams did; and if anyone could do something like this, it was Max; because the woman never did what she was supposed to do. She marched at her own beat, and if the world didn't like it, skrew it, she'd do it anyway. His heart speeded up instantly and even though he knew he should just turn around and dissapear if he treasured his sanity, he couldn't.

Johnny's bewildered stare shifted between both transgenics. "You know each other?"

John's question made him snap out of it, the gears in his mind rolling again and making him realise he ought to get out of there, because he wasn't keen on giving free shows. Holding Max before do so had been an automatic move, almost a reflex.

Concentrate. Focus, chided himself. He tried to convince himself that the fact he could feel his fingers tingle because of the touch of her skin wasn't important, that didn't matter this was the most alive he'd felt in weeks.

Alec stopped his tracks in a almost empty parking lot around the corner of the bar, Max right behind him, her wrist still in his hand. The heat of her skin burned him and Alec let her loose. Staring at her again quickly turned the dubious encounter into an overwhelming situation and he had to tear his eyes from her face. Not knowing what to do or say, he started pacing like a caged lion.

Max looked at him come and go while raking his hands through his hair, realising she'd never seen him this upset, hating herself for being the cause of it. She waited, not daring to say a word just yet. They needed to talk, but he would have to calm down first.

He could feel her gaze following him while he tried to decide if this was his worst nightmare or the best of his dreams. Both options had their merits. He finally slowed down and leaned on the trunk of a car which had definitely seen better days. The metal squeaked but he ignored it, turning his attention to Max. She was standing a few feet away, staring at him intensely, but despite that she seemed peaceful, serene; a complete opposite to him in that moment.

"What're you doin' here, Max?" he asked harshly before he could restrain himself, rubbing his forehead as if that could ease any of the tension he felt. It didn't.

"I'm looking for you," she answered, as if it was more than obvious. She noticed his short hair and he seemed more built since she'd last seen him. Training was clearly showing and at first sight, he appeared to be well adjusted to his new routine. But then again she also noticed the dark circles under his eyes, the stiffness of his stance; which told her maybe he wasn't as comfortable as he would like to be. Then again, her presence might have something to do with that.

He opened his arms wide, but she knew it wasn't an invitation to a hug. "You found me. What do you want?" Alec's voice was as sharp as a knife and she steeled herself against it. Before she could answer, he spoke again, the bitting sarcasm flooding his speech. "No, let me guess... No one back at TC puts up with your shit, isn't it? Sorry to dissapoint you, but the punching bag service is closed on weekends."

Max forced herself to stay calm. She knew Alec would fight back. "I came to ask you to come home."

Alec couldn't believe it. She actually had the nerve to stand straight in front of him as if nothing had happened and blatantly ask him to come back to Seattle... The situation was twisted in so many ways it wasn't even funny, but he laughed nontheless; a cold laugh which made Max cringe. Come back to what, he thought. To be there for her, but never with her, like always? He wasn't that altruistic.

"I think I'll pass, Max. Have a nice trip home," and with that, he turned and started walking.

Max mind stopped for a millisecond, and then she reacted. Reaching for him and taking his hand, she stood in front of him as their eyes locked. "I'm sorry," she said and he looked down because he still couldn't stand the sight of her eyes deeply staring at him. Max placed a hand on his cheek, making him see her again and repeated her words. "I wish I hadn't, but I know I hurt you. I'm sorry."

The sincerity in her voice almost destroyed him. His heart and body screamed to stay there, with her, to indulge his desires and hopes. Yet, there were self preservation red flags everywhere in his head. Knowing her as he did felt like a curse, because he could anticipate her reactions. He knew Max was out of options and she wanted to repair the damage, but that also meant she was willing to do, to say anything to do it. And Alec knew what she was going to say. There was one problem though: he didn't believe her. After everything, he couldn't.

She had the oddest feeling, an awkward, dreadful sensation, a whispering voice which told her she could confess she loved him, but no matter how much honesty she put into the words, he wouldn't accept it as the truth. She still had to try.

"I lov-" she started, but his fingers rested on her lips, preventing her to say it and confirming her suspicions.

Max's hart sank and she would have sworn the floor beneath her feet was unstable, but perhaps, her knees were faltering. She understood then and there she'd broken whatever it was they used to have and there was nothing to say or do, she couldn't fix it. So this is what he felt when I choked.

He'd bitten the dust so many times because of her... He'd lost count long ago. There was only one thing clear in his mind: she would not see him fall apart, not this time. That's why he had to get out of that damned place, away from her warmth and touch, from her beautiful eyes; because there was only so much he could bend before breaking.

Wearing his mask, he shook his head. "No point in sayin' it if you don't mean it, remember?"

His words damaged her more than she already was, more than what she considered was humanely possible. This can't be happening, was the mantra her mind repeated again and again. But then she stared into the hazel finding no more than a hollow gaze and she felt like she was back in the Manticore's woods, being shot in the chest all over again.

It took every bit of his will to turn around and leave, a will he didn't know he possessed. His instincts shouted against it, demanded him to stay with her and claim his rightful place, but he didn't. He didn't listen the whispers in his mind nor the longing of his body, choosing instead to walk away, because no matter how wrong it felt, the distance was safe.

Max's eyes lingered on his retreating back while hot, caustic tears descended silently through her face. She wanted to scream, to smash something until there was nothing left, just like it'd happened with her heart, but she didn't do any of those things. She just cried, not a single sound coming out of her, wondering if she truly deserved this kind of punishment. Later, she wouldn't be able to pinpoint how exactly she reached her motel room. The next thing she was fully aware of was sagging onto the shower's floor, the freezing water running freely through her body, numbing her muscles. She remained there until her lips turned into an unhealthy shade of purple and there was nothing more in her but raw pain.

She stared the cracked paint of the cieling for hours and the sleep never came. Neither did Alec.

As the first glimmer of sun appeared towards the East, she revved her Ninja's engine, leaving Yuma behind, as well as the man she loved, the same man she'd driven away and didn't trust her anymore.


Don't hate me (too much). One more to go. Stay awesome!